Nino Kalandadze Transmitted Diplomatic Note to Swiss Ambassador Addressed to Russian Federation

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Nino Kalandadze met with the Ambassador of Swiss Confederation to Georgia H.E. Guenther Baechler on June 27, 2011 – web site of Georgia’s Foreign Ministry informs.

During the meeting, the Deputy Minister transmitted to the Ambassador the Note of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russian Federation by which the Georgian side invites the Russian Federation to participate in further negotiations to resolve the disputes that have arisen with respect to the Russian Federation's responsibility for breaches of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

The Note emphasizes that the Russian Federation has committed the following violations, inter alia:

• Preventing the exercise of the right of return of ethnic Georgians who were expelled from their homes in Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia and Abkhazia, Georgia during the early 1990s.

• Discrimination in the period prior to the commencement of major hostilities in August 2008 against ethnic Georgians living in areas of Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, Georgia and Abkhazia, Georgia controlled by Russia and the proxy regimes, including with respect to ethnically motivated violence and destruction of property; educational, cultural and linguistic rights; freedom of movement; and passportization.

• Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia and adjacent areas of Georgia during August 2008 and in the months that followed.

• Preventing the exercise of the right of return of ethnic Georgians who were expelled from their homes in Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia and adjacent areas in 2008.

• Discrimination against ethnic Georgians currently living in areas of Georgia occupied and controlled by Russia, including with respect to ethnically motivated violence and destruction of property; educational, cultural and linguistic rights; freedom of movement; and passportization.

Georgia took into consideration the Judgment of the International Court of Justice of April 1, 2011, in which the ICJ has established the fact of the existence of dispute between Georgia and the Russian Federation, however has indicated the necessity of holding direct negotiations between the two States in the framework of the above-mentioned Convention.

“It is noteworthy that Georgia has repeatedly attempted to resolve the disputes under Convention with Russian Federation through negotiations, including both prior to and since the commencement of major hostilities in August 2008, however no adequate reaction followed from Russian side,” – states the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

interpressnews